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Louisiana Mayor Reverses Controversial Nike Ban

Kenner, La. (CBS Local)- Kenner mayor Ben Zahn has backed off his decision to ban the purchase of all Nike products in the city.

According to WNGO, Zahn held a press conference Wednesday saying that he would be rescinding the memorandum from September 5th that put the ban in place.

“Acting upon advice from the city attorney, I have rescinded my memorandum of September 5, 2018,” Zahn said at an afternoon press conference. “That memorandum divided our city, and placed Kenner in a false, unflattering light on a national stage.”

The original memo was a response to the company’s “Just Do It” campaign that featured Colin Kaepernick as one of the faces for the its 30th anniversary campaign.

Zahn told reporters at the press conference that his “overwhelming sense of patriotism” was the reason he made the decision, and he’s not apologizing for it.

“I am passionate about my country and the brave men and women who put themselves on the front line every day,” he said. “In the name of protecting us all, members of the armed forces, our fire departments, our police departments, actually sacrificed everything – their very lives. It is because of those sacrifices that my patriotism will not waver, but my focus needs to be on the city of Kenner and the many great projects we have in store for our city. Nothing can be allowed to distract us from that very important endeavor.”

The decision to reverse the ban came just hours after the Louisiana chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union declared the ban to be unconstitutional.